Bush is an un-American SOB, period.
Normally we here at The Last Chance Democracy Cafe try to avoid using language quite this abrasive: effective advocacy, after all, should grow out of strong arguments and solid evidence, not from the screeching of insults.
But every once in awhile, I guess, only screeching will do.
In the years that have followed Sep. 11, 2001, George W. Bush has, of course, repeatedly manipulated the fear Americans feel over terrorism for political gain. He does this in a particularly reprehensible way — working to actually stoke, rather than to retard, the fear, so that he can use it as a tool for turning one American against another. Then, like some evil alien parasite from a Star Trek episode, he’s feasts on the resulting hatred to his political benefit.
A great American president once said — and yes, it’s become a cliché, but sometimes only a cliché will do — that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Bush, of course, has consistently taken the opposite approach, teaching us to embrace our fears until they’ve become part of every drop of our national lifeblood.
And it’s worked like a charm. Under his tender mercies, America often seems to have redefined itself from a powerful (if far from consistent) model for the possibilities of freedom, into a frightened little child. We seem all too willing to do anything — up to and including betraying our most sacred rights — in a vain attempt to beat back the monster in the closet.
It’s been a long and tiresome journey: the endless manufacturing of terrorism alerts at just the right moment to be politically helpful, the demonizing of opponents as being disloyal to America and, worse yet, as being friends to the terrorists, the refusal to ever engage in good faith political compromise, but instead to demand all or nothing, with nothing always portrayed as a gift to those who are seeking to harm us.
There is some good news, however: fear, it turns out, has a limited shelf life. As I said recently, “But the thing about being scared all the time is that people will only cower in fear for so long before saying, screw it, and getting on with their lives.” And sure enough, Bush’s political manipulation of the fear of terrorism is starting to lose its punch: so much so, in fact, that House Democrats are actually showing signs of fighting back.
Bush, being the one act wonder he is, of course, is doing the only thing he can in response — turning up the volume on the same old scare tactics.
(AP) Bush says Congress putting US in danger
President Bush said Friday that “our country is in more danger of an attack” because of Congress’ failure to extend a law that makes it easier for the government to spy on foreign phone calls and e-mails that pass through the United States.
Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney met with Republican congressional leaders in the Oval Office to discuss the impasse with the Democratic-led House. Lawmakers left Thursday for a 12-day recess without acting on the law, which expires at midnight Saturday. The president said Congress should act quickly on the measure as soon as lawmakers return.
Bush argues that without the extension, the intelligence community will not have the tools they need to protect the nation from terrorism. Democrats, equally adamant, accuse the president of fear-mongering and say he has the authority he needs to intercept terrorist communications, even if the law expires.
“American citizens must understand, clearly understand that there’s still a threat on the homeland. There’s still an enemy which would like to do us harm,” Bush said. “We’ve got to give our professionals the tools they need, to be able to figure out what the enemy is up to so we can stop it.”
“By blocking this piece of legislation, our country is more in danger of an attack,” he said.
Every word of this is a lie, of course. Delaying (or even withholding altogether) adoption of the FISA legislation won’t put America at risk. US intelligence agencies have all of the authority they need to conduct necessary surveillance without the statute. And as others have noted, even if there were some increased risk, the blame would rest squarely on Bush’s shoulders for holding the bill hostage to his demands for retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies.
We’ve lived through almost seven years of “terrorism baiting” now. To be honest, Bush has lost his capacity to shock me. But if the surprise is gone from him, the shame isn’t.
And it is a shame that will stain him for however long people bother to remember his name.
The point, you see, isn’t that history will eventually judge him to have been a very bad president, which, of course, it will — probably the worst ever. No, what he should really be worried about is that history will judge him to have been a very bad American.
February 15th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Bush is an un-American SOB, period….
In the years that have followed Sept. 11, 2001, George W. Bush has, of course, repeatedly manipulated the fear Americans feel over terrorism for political gain. He does this in a particularly reprehensible way — working to actually stoke, rather than t…
February 15th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Steve, I believe that your last line ” … history will judge him to have been a very bad American,” just scratches the surface. I believe that the two-headed creature called Bush/Cheney has been the greatest threat to this country since WWII, (or perhaps the Cuban missle crisis).
How many times have we heard that “Great empires are always destroyed from within.” Bush/Cheney have shown us the mechanics of just how easy it is to destroy freedom and install fascism.
I have never bought into the fear they have been peddling since 9/11. However, I do live in fear of their malignant claws still being on the levers of power. Holding my breath for the past seven years has been difficult. But there is no way I will take a deep breath until noontime on January 20, 2009. (Assuming, of course, that either Obama or Hillary is the one being sworn in.)
February 15th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Not only is he a son-of-a-bitch, but Bush and Cheney are war criminals who should be in prison awaiting execution for war crimes, treason, murder, torture, violations of the U. S. Constitution and violations on International Law.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I’ve said several times before, & I’ll say it again, This is an elected dictatorship!
A police state! Both Clinton & Obama have said they will continue to use “signing statements” to override Congress on any part of any bill they don’t like. Just like Bush does. No Veto to be over-ridden, just say “screw you, I’ll do whatever I want.”
They even confiscate laptops that cross borders and copy all the data on it to send it to Homeland Insecurity. And maybe anybody else that wants it.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
The one good thing I can say about the Bush/Cheney reign of terror these past 7 years is that it’s almost over. The damage the GOP and neocons have done to this nation and the world defies comprehension and will take 50 years or more to fully clean up – if we’re lucky. Any democrat who aided their crimes should be held accountable as well.
I agree with GOPHater that these two (and others) need to be tried for war crimes and dealt with accordingly. To protect these criminals is a gross injustice to us all. I am ashamed to call myself an American under these fascist animals. I am ashamed for Americans who could not see the evil early on.
February 15th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
The question really is; will Bush and Co. walk away unfettered by criminal hearings and just leave a very bad memory?
here is the latest from Keith Olberman: Mr. Bush, You Are a Facist
Keith Olbermann Special Comment. Click to view
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article19361.htm
February 15th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
It’s probably a good thing I don’t have a larynx anymore, otherwise I would be shouting all the time.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Sadly History will judge George W. Bush as one of the most successful Presidents ever-
He got everything his black heart ever wanted- He used the House and Congress as lapdogs and the media as his own personal Rag to brainwash Millions!!!
History will judge us all as bad Americans for allowing this to go on for his complete tenure- And for falling everytime to the Propaganda (even blatent in your face Lies and Double – speek)
And when we voted the Dems into the majority in 2006 – we did nothing as they did nothing-
History could possibly brand us all as bad Human Beings.
February 16th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Hi everyone, new here and first post. Wondering your thoughts about Bush & Cheney’s constant fear warnings and their constant look how we have not been attacked again rantings now that it has been discovered that Prince Bandar, Saudia Arabia threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.
Who knows what deals have been made by this regime.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/15/bae.armstrade
February 16th, 2008 at 11:17 am
cosmicmama
thanks!! Olbermann is my hero
another link to President Bush Is a Liar and a Fascist (including a transcript)
“You said that “the lives of countless Americans depend†on you getting your way.
This is crap.”
February 16th, 2008 at 11:31 am
One of my favorite protest signs reads:
BUSH – THE
ANTI-AMERICAN
February 16th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Well we know who his mother is, so the S.O.B. is right.
February 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Personally I think that SOB is a much too polite a term for that worm. As an ordinary citizen & 65 yr old grandmother there’s not a lot I can do to protest this fraudulent squatter but one way that I do protest is by not ever calling him president. I also try very hard not to use Mr. as I consider it a term of respect and I have zero respect for this liar.
Most often I use the words squatter, Dubya, Fake pres, etc. Then we come to the word SOB and a whole lot of other words that I have learned to use since this quack started his war on our Constitution. I also type his and cheney’s names with small letters because I consider them to be very small people.
Yes, it’s childish but it makes me feel better. Heaven knows that all of us deserve whatever we can find to make us feel better until that gang of thugs are gone…………hopefully to prison.
February 17th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
magginkat
I do the same thing. I ususally refer to him as moron though he is much too evil for that simple word. Nevertheless, he is an SOB and a squatter and a moron. I can’t wait til he’s gone. I dream of justice for him and darth cheney but I’m not holding my breath.
Bacchus
Welcome! Thanks for the link. The smarmy deals of this administration no longer surprise or shock, but we need to be aware that there is nothing too low or dishonest for dear leader and his greedy bunch.
I love that Olbermann!